Articles in issue 2011 - 1

Municipalities and Associations

“Why Play?”

Children are growing up in a rapidly changing world characterized by higher and tougher standards of learning.

Planning, Designing, Building

Modern urban design with Euroflex products manufactured by Gummiwerk Kraiburg Relastec GmbH

Walking across the square completely covered in bright red feels like walking on cotton wool. The City Lounge reminds visitors of the sports grounds of their school days, which were covered with a red synthetic rubber flooring.

Planning, Designing, Building

Ziegler Spielplätze von A bis Z (“Playgrounds from A to Z”) – stories made of robinia wood

How do children’s dreams take shape? It’s pretty simple – just take some robinia wood, from which the sapwood has been removed, and build a playground made of robinia heartwood, which makes children’s hearts beat faster due to its lovingly designed details.

Planning, Designing, Building

It might get loud …

January 29, 2011 was the occasion of two major birthdays in Berlin.

Planning, Designing, Building

Ride the skies with Playdale’s new products

Playground manufacturer Playdale is launching the latest phase of its dynamic moving products.

Planning, Designing, Building

“Volcano” in Henningsdorf

After two workshops had been held in the city of Hennigsdorf, namely in a after-school care centre adjoining the primary school and the “Regenbogenschule“ school for disabled children, the “Volcano” turned out to be children’s favourite and most wanted play structure for the existing playground.

Planning, Designing, Building

New outdoor fitness equipment by playfit®: Duplex back trainer

Adequate physical and mental exercise, positive thinking as well as a healthy, balanced diet help promote and maintain independence, vitality and joie de vivre among the elderly.

Planning, Designing, Building

Keeping up with the latest trend with Lappset! Axiom playground equipment – the new wave of play!

The Axiom climbing frames give your playground a modern look. The Axiom climbing frames and nets are particularly suitable for urban environments.

Planning, Designing, Building

New exercise concept – an alternative to working out at the gym

On an area of only 4 square metres, you can systematically work up to 300 muscle groups with the new 4Fcircle Trimmfit equipment.

Planning, Designing, Building

New: Obra mini “Enchanted Forest”

A fantastic play experience for children aged 0 through 3 years: Is there anybody who did not love the fantastic fairy tales about enchanted worlds bustling with witches, fairies and dwarfs when they were kids?

Planning, Designing, Building

Exploring possibilities not defining limitations

Melis Stokepark, which is located in the Hague, is the latest location to have Playtop installed by Van Vliet, the Dutch Playtop Licensee.

Planning, Designing, Building

Products from Wicksteed Playscapes

In 2010 Wicksteed Playscapes introduced a vast array of innovative new products and here are just a few examples:

Planning, Designing, Building

Discover outdoor play resources with Playgarden

Playgarden Design and Resources Ltd have just launched their new website www.playgardens.co.uk to make it much more user-friendly.

Planning, Designing, Building

Rainbow Plays Systems unveils its first playhouse

Rainbow Plays Systems has launched a brand new item: the Fiesta Playhouse. This boxed (flat-pack) playhouse is a landmark item, as it is the first time Rainbow introduces a playhouse-style unit to its product line-up.

Playground Report

Qualification for playground inspectors

by Bertold Tempel, TÜV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH

Have we learned from the past?

Playground Report

Queens Park at Hinckley

Natural elements mingled with prescribed play equipment makes for the perfect play space and Wicksteed Playscapes has just completed a fine refurbishment based on exactly that at Queens Park in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

Sports & Leisure Facilities

Football at high level in Vienna

What do you need to play football?

Sports & Leisure Facilities

Hillesheim enjoys exercising and sports on a new level with CONIPUR

Sports & Leisure Facilities

Two communities – one building project – one synthetic turf pitch

By Dipl.-Ing. Joachim Schulze, pslandschaft.de – freiraumplanung, independent landscape architect, aknw, bdla

Sports & Leisure Facilities

Major Success at the Turf and Grass Expo 2010

The inaugural Turf and Grass Expo was held at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam on December 8 and 9, 2010. Over a 1000 persons attended the event.

Sports & Leisure Facilities

An informative IAKS seminar in Göttingen, Germany

IAKS seminar “Synthetic surfaces and turf pitches” was a great success.

Playground Report

Europlay nv at Dendermonde (B)

Since its foundation in 2000, the Belgian company Europlay NV has been developing, designing and manufacturing public playground equipment.

Playground Report

A Flagship Play Area

Playdale complete largest play area yet: When tasked with giving 36-acre Wallace Park a new lease of life, Lisburn City Council knew a flagship play area would promise just that.

Sports & Leisure Facilities

Cost-benefit comparison natural grass – synthetic turf

By Eric Hardman, Head of Sports facilities, Sports and Education Department, City of Basel, Switzerland

Playground Report

Building a natural Place for Play

As part of the government’s National Play Strategy, Sutcliffe Play has worked with Doncaster Council to create a natural play scheme in line with Play England’s 10 Design for Play principles.

Playground Report

The trend towards rope

Rope play equipment and space nets create movement for a lively playground. A trend in the trade for playground equipment and recreational facilities.

Playground Report

The Federal Horticultural Show Koblenz 2011 (BUGA 2011) will be opened punctually on 15 April 2011 – despite the flooding

For the second time in the past year, the Federal Horticultural Show Koblenz 2011 has come within an inch of flooding.

Playground Report

Exercise is not just exercise

by Dr. Dieter Breithecker, Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft fuer Haltungs- und Bewegungsförderung e. V. (Federal Association for the Development of Posture and Exercise)

Playground Report

The desert lives – in Munich‘s “Theresienhöhe” district

It is a place with strong characteristics. Since June 2010 the new leisure area at Theresienhöhe in Munich’s Schwanthalerhöhe district has been inviting children, teenagers and adults to play and have fun.

Planning, Designing, Building

National action plan “For a child-oriented Germany”

Kristina Schröder: “The National Action Plan is pointing the way towards a child-oriented Germany” – Federal Minister of Family Affairs opened the Final Congress for the National Action Plan “For a child-oriented Germany 2005-2010” (in German: NAP).

Planning, Designing, Building

From the Ruhr to the Rhine: FIBO will be taking place in Cologne from 2013

FIBO – the largest trade fair in the world for fitness, wellness and healthy – is changing its location from the Ruhr to the Rhine and will be taking place in Cologne from 2013 onwards.

Planning, Designing, Building

Location factor: Family-friendly policies counteract a shortage of skilled labour

Local alliances for families are presenting innovative projects for a balance between family and work.

Planning, Designing, Building

Cabinet is strengthening children’s rights – Minister Remmel: Children’s noise is the music of the future

The Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia advises:

Planning, Designing, Building

Playgrounds in danger

The towns and local authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia will have to tighten their belts even further. Almost a half is involved in budget consolidation plans; i.e. funds are being frozen, no more may be spent. Therefore each Euro has to be stretched even further – children’s playgrounds are also really feeling the pinch.

Planning, Designing, Building

Germany needs efficient politics for children!

German Child Protection Federation and UNICEF Germany: Demand for adoption of a Federal Ombudsman for Children.

Planning, Designing, Building

Founding of Federal Association for local children’s lobbies in Berlin

On the 9 December 2010, local children’s lobbies from the whole of Germany founded their own Federal Association (in German: BAG).

Playground Report

Is there a trend towards rope play equipment?

There are hardly any manufacturers any more who dare to enter the market without offering rope elements. Some even take things one step further by offering not just “play equipment with ropes” but real “rope play equipment”, i.e. such equipment with which the rope is the essential or even only play element. In particular the three-dimensional net structures, as they are called, have to be mentioned.

Coverstory

Griesheim – the first playable town in Germany

Children have retreated from public space as they have fewer and fewer opportunities for outdoor play. Children have gradually been deprived of their liberty without conviction.